The invention relates generally to a steerable drive axle for a motor vehicle and more specifically to such an axle having increased ground clearance and requiring few universal joints.
In order to equip motor vehicles with a steerable drive axle wherein two drive shafts are arranged in a single axle housing, the two shafts are angled rearwardly with respect to a horizontal plane so the vehicle's wheelbase will be decreased for a shorter turning radius and the front-end width will be reduced. The two drive shafts are connected to a differential, each through a universal joint, such that a transversely continuous drive assembly is formed having a V-shaped configuration which opens rearwardly. The end of each drive shaft carries a universal joint which in turn is connected to the axle shaft of a corresponding wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is connected to the axle housing for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis by a steering mechanism. A differential is located at the point of the V-shaped configuration, and the centerline of the differential is generally on the same level as the centerline of the wheels connected to the drive axles. Ground clearance between the wheels is therefore limited by the wheel centerline, and one or more universal joints are commonly required between the transmission and the differential.